Summary of the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium

Nearly 70 participants from 20 countries, in addition the same numbers of young journalists, guests and reporting journalists, took part at the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium which invited leading media- and opinion-makers, historians and political organisation representatives to discussions at the Orangery Palace in Sanssouci, Potsdam for the 12th time. After the election of Donald Trump as US president and the upcoming elections in Austria, France, the Netherlands and then in Germany end of September the results of the discussions at M100 are up to date as never. Please find the detailed summary of the 'conference unique to Europe’ (rbb, 15/9/2016) here. Another summary, consisting of tweets, quotes, comments and photos you still can find for a while here.

international competition for journalists about Belarus

Attention! Belarus in Focus has published an international competition for journalists writing about Belarus in international media, have a look here:

Video about M100YEJ workshop is online!

The short video clip about this year's M100YEJ workshop on the topic of investigative journalism with 27 very talented young journalists from all over Europe is online now!

The workshop took place in cooperation with OCCRP, ICIJ, Correctiv, Netzwerk Recherche, Medieninnovationszentrum Babelsberg (MIZ), and Vereinigung Europäischer Presse, amongst others. It was financed by Auswärtiges Amt and National Endowment for Democracy.

Thanks to all our partners and supporters!

M100 Sanssouci Colloquium 2016 comes to a successful close

Italian journalist and writer Roberto Saviano received the M100 Media Award / Chancellor Angela Merkel held the key political speech of the evening

Italian writer and journalist Roberto Saviano (Gomorrah) accepted the M100 Media Award at a festive award ceremony, while the international media conference M100 Sanssouci Colloquium came to a successful close at the Orangery Palace in Potsdam this evening.

The dazzling evening featured a keynote political speech from Chancellor Angela Merkel, who attended the M100 Media Award for the third time.

Speaking to Roberto Saviano, whose life has been threatened by the Mafia since the publication of his book about the Neapolitan Camorra ten years ago, forcing him and his family to live underground under police protection, the Chancellor expressed a clear commitment to press freedom: ‘We have to continue to defend freedom of the press time and again, always bearing in mind how quickly this right can be endangered – even here in Europe. Freedom of the press has a great deal to do with the absence of state interference and censorship, but it is much more than that. It also includes the freedom to uncover abuses and to report on them without fear of reprisal or even personal endangerment.’ She also touched on another commitment in reference to the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium held that afternoon, advocating the need for a strong and united Europe: ‘Just as the M100 Media Award is understood to be a European prize, the colloquium in which the award is being given today focuses on the situation in Europe.’ And further: ‘We must never forget that it is largely thanks to European integration that we no longer live on a continent of war, restricted freedom and antagonism, but what is still a union of peace, freedom, prosperity, stability and good neighbourly relations. The European Union has achieved far more in its history than past generations could have ever imagined. Even with major historical trajectories aside, we benefit daily from European integration in our everyday lives, often without even being conscious of it, including unrestricted travel, our common currency, and diverse personal encounters.’

Giovanni di Lorenzo, editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper Die Zeit, gave the speech honouring Roberto Saviano. Di Lorenzo praised the award for distinguishing Saviano’s work: ‘Roberto Saviano depends on support from the same society whose eyes he has repeatedly opened with his work – precisely because some would rather close their eyes again, turn away and know nothing about these things.’ And further: ‘An evening like this helps make Roberto Saviano a little bit safer in his home country. It is a great sign of solidarity – through the presence of all of you and by awarding this prize, the M100 Media Award. “There will be situations,” Roberto once said, “where I will become more vulnerable because fewer people are paying attention to me.” To him, public attention is not just a decorative accessory or flattering gesture. It is a kind of life insurance.’

Roberto Saviano himself thanked the Colloquium for the award and called on European media representatives to have the courage to present complex contexts and situations as they are without abbreviating them. He dedicated his prize to Turkish journalist and author Ahmet Altan and his brother, economics professor Mehmet Altan, who were arrested in Turkey on 10 September.

Addressing this year’s topic ‘War or Peace’, some 70 participants in what is now the 12th edition of the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium spent the day at round-table discussions having to do with the return of geopolitical strategies, creeping European disintegration, the increasing radicalisation of Western, Middle Eastern and other societies, as well as the role and responsibility of the media in these developments.

The M100 Sanssouci Colloquium was opened by renowned historian Prof Dr Dan Diner, who teaches modern history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and served as director of the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture at Leipzig University from 1999 to 2004. Diner warns of clear, discernable echoes from the past: ‘The current pattern of political-military activity is directed at locations that bear an unsettling resemblance to hotspots of the 19th century. First, to the constellation of the Crimean War from 1853 to 1856’ He continues: ‘If this kind of geopolitically-semantisised conflict constellation were to actually solidify, it would raise pressing questions about the future of the European project in general and the role of Germany in particular.’

Kai Diekmann, editor of the BILD Group, interviewed Can Dündar, former editor-in-chief of the Turkish daily newspaper Cumhuriyet in a special talk addressing the current situation in Turkey. ‘The situation in Turkey resembles a Frankenstein scenario,’ Dündar said. ‘The creature – the Gülen movement – has turned against its creator, Erdogan’. Erdogan, he noted, was the one who gave the Gülen movement strength and momentum through earlier efforts to shore up state institutions with loyalists. ‘This also explains how they know so precisely who belongs to it,’ Dündar explained, referring to the swift arrest of thousands of civil servants in Turkey following the attempted overthrow.

1. day of M100 YEJ with Daniel Drepper of Correct!v

Potsdam, 10 September, 2016. The participants of this year's M100YEJare blogging live from the workshop! At first day Daniel Drepper, Co-founder of the investigative network Correct!v, gave an exciting introduction to investigative journalism with special focus on dentifying and selecting issues, research, sources an implementation. Powered by Sourcefabric!

M100 Live on Facebook

M100 is streaming live!1 September, 2016. In two weeks from today, leading media professionals and opinion leaders will meet for the 12th time for the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium at the historical Orangery of Sanssouci in Potsdam. Selected parts of the conference, including the Special Talk with Can Dündar and Kai Diekmann, as well as the presentation of the M100 Media Award to Roberto Saviano will be streamed live on Facebook to a broader audience.Throughout the day, we will provide some impressions of the conference and short interviews with the participants - live on our Facebook page. To find out which sessions will be live streamed, please check here.

10th anniversary of EYP and M100YEJs collaboration

The M100 Young European Journalism workshop (M100YEJ) has been initiated in 2005 to promote the afore-mentioned values as well as ethical standards in journalism. Longtime supporter is the organisation European Youth Press (EYP). The successful collaboration between EYP and the M100YEJ is now in its 10th year and is building the base for quality journalism and sparking conversations about the modern journalism among young media professionals. Both organisations share the same values of educating young journalists about media ethics, work environment and modern challenges journalists face within the profession.

The EYP is a network of youth media organisations in Europe. With 27 member organisations and several Committees, the EYP reaches more than 60,000 young journalists across Europe, forming a solid volunteer and professional infrastructure. It is a democratic, non-profit institution, founded and controlled by young media makers, all between 20 and 30 years of age.

Orangelog, the former platform of the European Youth Press, was initiated as a project emerging from the M100 YEJ workshop in 2006 and laid the foundation to the Orange Magazine, the English-language event-based online magazine of EYP that brings together an international team of young journalists from Europe and beyond.

Live blog of the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium

M100 Young European Journalists will report live from the conference.

On September 15, about 70 international participants from the spheres of media, politics and academia will discuss the topic “War or Peace. The return of geopolitics, disintegration and the radicalisation of society in Europe” at the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium.

Not only will certain parts be streamed live on Facebook, M100 Sanssouci Colloquium will be reporting live from the conference as well. For that matter, participants of the M100 Young European Journalists Workshop (M100YEJ) will create a Live Blog to cover the conference, monitor social media and thus, bring the conference to a wider audience.

The M100 Young European Journalists workshop will start this Saturday at the MedienInnovationszentrum MIZ Babelsberg and teaches the young journalists not only the purposes, techniques and challenges of investigative journalism, but as well how to cover live from conferences. For that matter, M100 Sanssouci Colloquium is collaborating with Sourcefabric, a nonprofit open source development organisation that specialises in providing innovative software solutions for editorial newsrooms. With Sourcefabric’s solution for liveblogging, the Live Blog, the participants will be covering the M100 YEJ workshop on a daily basis and report live from the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium.

The link to the Live Blog will be published soon.

Thank you to our supporters, sponsors and partners!

30 August, 2016. Only 16 days! On September 15, the international media conference M100 Sanssouci Colloquium, followed by the presentation of the M100 Media Award, takes place for the 12th time in Potsdam. A big thank you to our longtime supporters, the City of Potsdam, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and the Federal Foreign Ministry, as well as to our sponsors and co-operation partners. Without them, this exceptional event would not be possible!

A visual summary of the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium 2016 "WAR OR PEACE, The return of geopolitics, disintegration and the radicalisation of society in Europe" and the M100 Media Award to the italian author Roberto Saviano. Political keynote: Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel, laudation: Giovanni di Lorenzo (die Zeit)

"At the same time, today’s prize is an appeal to all persons who hold positions of responsibility in governments, in culture and in the media: be steadfast, value-oriented and also COURAGEOUS when irresponsible persons and powers undermine or relativise our values of freedom. It is a virtue to yield to a convincing argument, but it is cowardice to yield to a threat from enemies of freedom."

Joachim Gauck in his laudation for Kurt Westergaard, September 8, 2010

"It is a great honour for me to be here and receive this great price. It's a very big day for me. I thank Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dr. Joachim Gauck for the kind and strong words, and for their appreciation. Thank you, I will never forget this day!"

Kurt Westergaard, M100 Media Award Laureate 2010

"Facing new challenges it is time to facilitate a regular exchange between European media. For this reason I am very grateful that the M100 initiative exists."

Dr Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republik of Germany

"I receive [this award] with an immense joy, happiness and humility also, because I think by being with you today here, I am receiving this price in the name of those who are still suffering in the jungle of Colombia and of those in the world that are living in similar conditions and who cannot speak for themselves freely."

Ingrid Betancourt, M100 Laureate 2008

"But I have to say that in our modern society the media has a very, very particular responsibility, also for the European idea. And I hope that the event today – and the events which will follow – will help us to communicate better, to explain better and to convince people that Europe – and acknowledging all the problems, the mistakes and the deficits – […] that at the end of the day the idea of European integration is the best idea that we have ever developed in our history."

Günther Verheugen, former EU-Commissioner in his keynote speech 2005

...

"I am very moved, especially because I was not expecting to hear these words, which are like an embrace for me. So I want to thank you for this award, for the incredibly moving words of Giovanni di Lorenzo, for this wonderful sky that has welcomed me to Potsdam, and also to thank the Federal Chancellor for her touching words, and for her encouraging presence. Because the awareness raised heartens me a lot more than words."